Answer this question truthfully
### Question: What causes Bleeding esophageal varices?
### Response: Scarring (cirrhosis) of the liver is the most common cause of esophageal varices. This scarring prevents blood from flowing through the liver. As a result, more blood flows through the veins of the esophagus.
This extra blood flow causes the veins in the esophagus to balloon outward. If these veins break open (rupture), they can cause severe bleeding.
The swollen veins (varices) can also occur in the upper part of the stomach.